What is the patent-to-trademark ratio, and where does Poland stand?

The patent-to-trademark ratio shows how many patent applications a country files with the European Patent Office (EPO) for every trademark application it files with the EUIPO. In other words, it compares patent filings with brand filings, giving a comprehensive picture of how a country approaches intellectual property protection.

For Poland in 2025 the ratio is 0.08 – about 12 trademark applications for every European patent filed. In absolute numbers: 621 patents versus 7,829 trademarks. That is the exact opposite of what we see in highly developed, technology-driven economies.

The average for the European Union as a whole is 0.6 – on average, 1.7 patents for every 3 trademarks. But the technology leaders score very differently: Finland – 2.2, Sweden – 1.4, France – 1.2, Germany and the Netherlands – 1.0. Outside Europe the asymmetry is even starker: Japan has a ratio of 8.5, South Korea 6.5 and the United States 2.7. The G20 average is 1.3.

A ratio below 1 means trademark filings dominate – the economy is protecting brands first and foremost, not technology. Poland’s 0.08 puts us far below both the European and the global average and is one of the lowest results in the EU.

The indicator reflects a deep asymmetry in the IP protection strategy of Polish companies. It shows that our problem is not filing trademarks – we are good at that – but a near-total lack of interest in patent protection for inventions and technological solutions. This is one of the key challenges for the international innovation performance of the Polish economy.